Sunday, May 17, 2009

azaleas, rhododendrons and locus blooms
















I felt it would be nice to send everyone a selection of blooms from around the house. Enjoy with your morning coffee or tea. The blooms are begonia, azaleas, rhododendrons, and the white grape like clusters are locust blooms (this makes a very good honey).

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Finally, a good loaf




After many years of trying to develop a sourdough, I think the June Perry info and directions have given me that wonderful crust and flavor I have been looking. You will notice that a little mouse has nibbled on one of the loaves, she is such a bad girl.

Friday, May 8, 2009

kilns, bread, and blogging

The last month has been busy with alot of different items and I have let the blog fall back a bit. I haven't participated very much and have had to spend most the day catching up with the blogs.

I have been able to do some digging on the footers of the kiln. During the fall and winter, the ground is so hard I'd have to blast to dig in the dirt and rock. I started this project over a year ago and I guess it will take another year or so before I even finish the footer. Maria has been pushing me to get us a wood kiln back in the family, but a deminished capacity, my reality of the amount of work helps fuel my reason not to get it done.

Maria is a pyro and loves to fire the kiln, even with all the work involved. She actually has a forty hour work week, a real job, she always says that "I married her for the insurance." But since it is about mothers day, I told her that "I married for love." That and a Halmark card and she is as happy as peaches in cream. Am I not the luckest dude?

June Perry and I have been exchanging ideals and info to find us a good soardough bread to bake. I lived in San Francisco for a while and going to the corner store and getting a loaf of the Boudin Bakery soardough was a pleasure that for me has never been duplicated. June has found a source for the lactobacillius San Francisco bateria and we both have been working with it to see if we can come up with a good substitute, and my first attempt has had some success with the sour qualities present, but weak. More to come with this for ya. Oh yes, the city bakery in Asheville has a decent sourdough available, if you can get there early enough. Follow June's blog for the things that she is doing to get a good sourdough.

Catching up on all the blogging that is going on, I have seen some really good work being shown on these pages, I have gotten more info and up to date imagery and goings on online, than just about anywhere. Thanks to all that share, it lets everyone know that they are not alone making pots out there.
So, make those good pots.